Criteria for Selection of School Districts for Participation in the Response to Intervention Personnel Development Project

Attachment 2

All school districts are encouraged to submit an application of interest. In each of the three regions of the State outside of New York City (NYC) (see map Attachment 3), the project can serve up to 20 school districts to receive support beginning in 2014. Each district may select up to three schools within their district to participate in the project. For the NYC region, the project may serve up to 60 schools to receive support beginning in 2014.

Selection Criteria:

Local educational agencies (LEAs) proposing to implement middle school RtI programs will be considered if they are currently implementing an RtI framework at Grades K-4.

In the event that a region has more interested school districts than it has capacity to involve in the project, the State will apply the following priority selection criteria.

First priority will be given to NYS' largest city school districts in NYC, Yonkers, Syracuse, Rochester, and Buffalo as well as other small cities.

Second priority will be provided to rural districts to ensure that a representative number of rural districts are included in the project regions outside of the NYC metropolitan areas.

Third priority consideration will be given to school districts with the highest rates of classification of students with disabilities of the districts seeking participation in the project.

Fourth priority consideration will be based on whether the district has been identified by the State as having disproportionate rates by race/ethnicity in the identification, classification and/or placement of students with disabilities.

Fifth priority consideration will be provided to school districts with the highest percentages of English Language Learners enrolled in the school districts seeking participation in the project.

Sixth priority consideration will be given to those districts seeking participation in the project that have the highest percentage of students achieving below proficiency on the State English Language Arts Assessments.

District Commitment:

Districts that are selected to participate in the project will be required to sign a letter of commitment demonstrating willingness to develop a district design team, attend regional professional development sessions and facilitate the regional professional development provider's on-site technical assistance visits three times per year.